Dear Students,
During these last weeks before finals, I hope you’re finding time to relax and connect safely with friends. The Easter/Spring Break seems to have offered us an opportunity to reset, and we have been pleased to have a relatively low number of COVID-19 positive tests this week. I remind you to continue to make good decisions for your health and the health of our community.
Vaccinations
The recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is that everyone who is able should get vaccinated as soon as they are able. I strongly encourage you not to wait to get vaccinated but take advantage of the availability of vaccines right now.
We have just learned of a new opportunity available for members of our community. The Maryland Higher Education Commission and the Maryland Department of Health are identifying “University Days” at various mass vaccination sites throughout Maryland. The first "University Days" will be held at the Greenbelt Metro Station from Friday, April 23, to Tuesday, April 27, 2021. This site is open to students, faculty, staff, and administrators.
You can learn more about how to schedule an appointment, other opportunities to get vaccinated, and the importance of getting vaccinated on our COVID vaccine page, Loyola.edu/covidvaccines.
If you have been vaccinated, please send proof of your vaccination to
healthservices@loyola.edu.
End-of-Semester
Final exams this year are all online, as you know. As you are preparing for and taking your exams, please be mindful of the importance of academic integrity at Loyola and remember your signed commitment to upholding the University’s Honor Code.
Students and families are starting to ask about move-out. All non-seniors need to check out of their room within 24 hours of their last exam or by 3 p.m. on undergraduate move-out day, whichever comes first. Seniors will need to be out by 8 p.m. Saturday, May 22, after their Commencement ceremony. I look forward to sharing more details about Commencement with our graduating students very soon.
Our final week of surveillance testing for students will be offered the week of May 10. Student Health Services will also offer testing for seniors who stay on campus for Senior Week. Seniors, please keep in mind that if you test positive prior to Commencement, you will only be able to participate if you have completed your isolation. In addition, all those attending will be subject to a brief health screening prior to entering Commencement. None of us want anyone to miss Commencement. Please make good decisions.
My Future Plans
I’m delighted to share that I have accepted a position as visiting scholar at the Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics at Georgetown University Medical Center for the 2021-2022 academic year. I will join the Georgetown Jesuit Community, where I previously lived as a scholastic. I am looking forward to re-engaging—or resurrecting—my research in moral theology and health ethics through this wonderful opportunity.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoy the weekend ahead in a safe way. Thank you for doing your part to keep our community healthy.
Sincerely,
Rev. Brian F. Linnane, S.J.
President